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Memories for us old truckers

Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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None of you folks ever went to the markets in California. The South San Francisco Fruit and
Vegetable Terminal or the L. A. Market and several others. Those were built in the 20's & 30's
for trailers averaging 30' long not 40', 45,' 48' or 53' with a conventional tractor. If you weren't driving a cabover it was real tough to bump the dock. I was pulling a 46' 6" with a cabover and
damn glad I had it.
 
DMiller

DMiller

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Hermann, Missouri
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Cheap "old" Geezer
We had similar here, Produce Row in St Louis, built in the 20s for Rail inbound supplies to be transferred to warehouses for refrigeration or cool storage and hauled out by trucks of the era. Docks were incorrect height, almost where trucks would fully cross the center when offloading., Conventionals were not allowed in the yard as could not get backed in appropriately, yard mules had been used of more recent years where trailers were dropped outside the 'Row'. Buildings were dilapidated, many dangerous as concrete and brick was crumbling, part was torn down and eventually the Row was moved to the East Side where a huge warehouse district was erected, Produce Row is now a site for Small Farm productions sales.

Last truck I had in there was a 77 F Model Mack tandem, 140" wb, with a 45' Refer.
 
Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,995
Location
WWW.
Pacific Produce-Vancouver B.C.-Lot was triangle shaped the dock was at same angle as lot.
You pulled in towards the point of said triangle and blind side backed to dock with about
two feet between trailers. Fun place-I could look through the window on the right side
of sleeper which was a big help.
 
RollOver Pete

RollOver Pete

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Indio, Ca
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Operating Engineer/mechanic
Truck Shop said:
None of you folks ever went to the markets in California. The South San Francisco Fruit and
Vegetable Terminal or the L. A. Market and several others. Those were built in the 20's & 30's
for trailers averaging 30' long not 40', 45,' 48' or 53' with a conventional tractor. If you weren't driving a cabover it was real tough to bump the dock. I was pulling a 46' 6" with a cabover and
da mn glad I had it.
Click to expand...


Good ol L A Market..

Unloading back in 99. The place was a nightmare back then . Honest to God, you had better stand watch with a gun in hand or those low life lumpers would rip you off blind. I learned this after coming up short on a few cases of pears.

f33fc288.jpg
 
RollOver Pete

RollOver Pete

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Indio, Ca
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Yep. It's kind of hard to believe that I actually survived that place. I flat out wouldn't have the patience today for the crap, rudeness and complete turd bags that one deals with down there. I'd be doing time for assault and /or murder. No doubt...

But it was fun...
Pulled for Peroni Produce out of Spokane Wa.
 
DMiller

DMiller

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Cheap "old" Geezer
Made several runs up thru the Valley back in 77/78 as a extra for a team truck, dropped WI cheese at a grocer chain warehouse outside Orange CA, up 5 and cross thru Bakersfield picking up fruit for front load bulkheaded trailer, topped off Salinas for Lettuce tail load was pretty common. LA Was always a Nightmare to get thru where just wanted OUT of there. Many times dropped in AZ ran up into Barstow, crossed and followed same path north all to come back to Produce Row and argue with the wholesalers as to prices they negotiated trying to cut them down.
 
RollOver Pete

RollOver Pete

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I didn't start driving till 83. Mostly flatbed, end dumps and hauling equipment. The produce days were 99-2000. Start in Yuma loading north. Unload in Spokane , up to Oroville loading south for L.A. Good Lord... lotsa Mt Dew, candy and cross tops. I'd turn 2 back to back by myself and take a week off to recover. Aint no way I'd try to run like that today. I just thank God that I never hurt anybody other than myself while truckin it up like we did. Peroni only had company trucks back then with the exception of about 4 of us OO's. They made well worth it. If the cash is gonna flow, move over... I gotta go.
 
DMiller

DMiller

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Location
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Would not care to remember all the Team Runs when I was all alone, development of the Funny papers commenced.
Lots of help on the road at that time on how to mod log books and I did, by the bucket full.
As noted sugary snacks soda by the gallon or coffee until the stomach said enough, drive til couldn’t the stop lay across the wheel or doghouse wake up and go some more. Would hate to think how much damage could have been done.

Then the frustrating cigar chewing little old men in corrective shoes trying to con a freebie or drop costs by half, assholes.
 
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